One Year Later
by BeatriceParadisio
Summary: A year has passed since the battle with Mandrake. Nod and M.K, though, find themselves torn between what's rational, duty, and the spark that continues to burn between them.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Obviously, I don't own any of the characters or the world of Epic. I found the ending a little bit disappointing so I hope those of you that were also hoping for more like this. Please leave a review, they will help me to keep this going in a good direction!

* * *

The first year of college had been bittersweet. M.K. had loved the challenge of her courses and the excitement of telling her father that she decided to major in conservation biology. Yet behind her studies, new friends, parties, and all the life changes that came with that first year of freedom, she felt a longing for a world that lay hidden deep in the forest adjoined to her father's house.

She had spent many sleepless nights reliving the short adventure from the past summer, her chest tightening as she thought about the last few moments of her time with the Leafmen; the way _his_ lips felt against hers before she was torn away. Part of her had thought about changing her college plans and go to the much closer community college rather than the state university. Yet, deep down she knew she couldn't. Her mother had always stressed how important it was to not change your life for a man and she knew that she was right, but it didn't make it an easy decision.

"I wish you were still here, mom," she whispered to the picture she kept with her, hugging it to her chest before packing it into her bag.

"Ready?" her father asked as he stumbled into the room, his red hair sticking out in weird angles.

"Yeah, I think so," she said, giving the small dorm room a quick look over before moving towards the door. "Let's get home."

* * *

Nod was pacing nervously on a large branch on the edge of the forest. It was one of the best views of M.K.'s house, allowing him to peek into her father's study and watch the large machines that he had heard them call computers. For the past year he had come to the same spot, staring at the screens and waiting for the rare moments when M.K. would appear and start talking with her father.

He wished more than anything he could leap down from his branch and join in on the conversation, but he knew that he shouldn't. It was impossible. He was a Leafmen, sworn to protect the queen and the forest from the dark forces that sought destruction. There was little time to be with _any_ girl, let alone a stomper. Ronin was right when he told him that he had to let her go.

_Then why are you here?_ his mind treacherously asked. _Why keep coming? She's gone. She's forgotten you and moved on with her life._

He knew that it was probably true, but part of him still hoped that it wasn't. He wanted more than anything that her words of coming back by summer were true and that she hadn't forgotten him. He certainly hadn't forgotten her.

"Even if she hasn't, that doesn't mean that this will ever work," he said to himself as he stared in the window. "You're a Leafmen, she's a stomper. There's just no –"

His words died as a loud thud came from the house, followed by the vibrant laughter that caused his heart to flutter. "M.K."

She appeared in the window, her eyes sparkling as she started talking to her father in animated tones. He wished he was the one she was talking to, her smile growing as she grew more and more excited. "But it can't be," he said softly, forcing himself to turn away. "She lives in a different world with a different life. You aren't a part of it."

Giving a long whistle, he kept his eyes to the forest as he watched his bird zip towards him. Mounting his ride, he glanced back one last time at the one girl he couldn't get out of his mind. "Goodbye, M.K," he whispered, ignoring the tightness in his chest as he flew away.


	2. Chapter 2

M.K. had been home for nearly two weeks without a sign from any of the Leafmen, let alone Nod. She had watched the cameras for hours and had even ventured through the forest on foot in hopes of meeting any of her friends from the summer before, but she had found nothing.

At first she had worried that something had happened to the little soldiers that she had fought along side of only a year earlier. That fear, though, disappeared when her father told her all about the progress of his research which was based on the tiny society of advanced beings. After that, she had worried that something had happened to Nod, but that too was put to rest by some of her dad's recent video footage that showed the Leafman plain as day.

"So he's avoiding me," she finally admitted to herself, feeling the sharp pang that came with rejection. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, her mind replaying everything from the past year that would have given her some clue that he really _didn't_ have feelings for her. "It just doesn't make sense!"

Downstairs, she could hear her dad and Ozzie going about their nighttime routine of checking equipment and going over the breakthroughs for the day. Normally, she would join in but she was in no mood. Anything involving the Leafmen now felt like a hot poker to heart rather than something exciting.

"It just doesn't make sense!" she huffed, sitting up abruptly and moving to the window. "Seriously."

The night sky was bright with a full moon, one not so unlike the moon that had been shining the night she spent with the Leafmen. It made her ache even more for the friend she had made that night. _More than just a friend,_ she thought as a symphony of crickets and toads filled the air. _Or at least I thought so._

The longer she stood at the window the more her mood seemed to shift. At first all she could feel was confusion, which quickly changed into sadness. Yet after a few minutes of wondering what she had done wrong she realized that she had been very clear with Nod on what she was feeling. She had told him that she liked being with him and had told him when she was coming home. Soon, her sadness was replaced with anger and frustration over his sudden abandonment.

Without a second thought, she marched out of her room and out the door. She didn't even care that she wasn't wearing anything but a pair of slippers and the shorts and tank she typically slept in. She wanted answers and nothing was going to stop her as she stomped through the forest.

_And the forest looks just fine to me, _she thought angrily as any misgivings that there was some sort of threat that was keeping away were dispelled. _So he's just ignoring me for the hell of it. That's just great. Real gentlemanly of him._

It wasn't until she was nearly at Moonhaven that she started to hesitate. _What am I doing?_ she thought as she spied the old stump that was home to the Leafmen and the queen of the forest.

She suddenly felt embarrassed at stomping through the forest like an idiot. She groaned as she lost all of the steam that had been driving her. _What am I doing? _ she asked again as she turned from Moonhaven. She felt like a fool, getting upset over a man that she barely knew, had only kissed once, and really had no way of ever being with her.

"God, I'm an idiot," she groaned as she headed back to the house, feeling even worse than when she had left.


	3. Chapter 3

Nod watched M.K. as she stood on the edge of the forest. She slumped down against a tree and held her head in her hands and groaned. He knew he shouldn't have followed her through the forest, but she looked so upset when he had spied her from Moonhaven. He watched her for hours, his chest tightening every time she pounded the ground with her fists, her eyes turning up to the sky.

He wanted to go to her and hold her, but it was impossible. What would he hold, her finger? How could he comfort her when he couldn't even speak to her without some weird contraption her father had built?

"This is just impossible," he shouted, "It can't work! How could this ever work?"

His hands found their way to his hair as he started pacing. "You can't even hear me!"

Still, knowing the reality of the situation didn't make it any easier. He missed her. He wanted feel her riding behind him again, holding on to him tightly as he dove and spun. He wanted to kiss her again and not have her ripped from his hands.

"This isn't how this is suppose to be!" he yelled to no one in particular, kicking the tree he was standing on. "This isn't how it's suppose to work."

"God, this sucks," M.K. said, as if she could hear what he was saying.

"I wish you hadn't left," he answered, wishing that he could go to her. "I wish she hadn't sent you back."

M.K, though, didn't say anything more. Instead she stood and gave the forest one last sad look before going back into her giant house. The way the massive boomed shut seemed so final on anything they might have, like it was over before it ever even had a chance to start.

Sighing, he made his way back to Moonhaven, his mind busy with thoughts of what could have been had M.K. just remained with them instead of being made giant again. They had a connection. He was sure that there was something special between them, but they just didn't have the time to figure it out. How else could he explain why he felt what he felt after spending just a day with her?

By the time that he got back to Moonhaven, he was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he barely noticed Ronin and the young queen talking in low tones. Normally, it was something that would have set him on his guard, making him think that something was happening. Tonight, though, he was oblivious to everything around him, even the knowing looks Ronin gave him as he listened to the queen.

"It's for her own good," he told himself, as if doing the _honorable_ thing would make him feel any better. "You're a warrior and she's a stomper. You have your duties and she has her life. Her family is beyond the forest and mine is here."

Still, no matter what he told himself it didn't help ease his own desires, however selfish they were. She was different and exciting. She looked at the world differently than anyone else in the forest and seemed to make complex situations seem simple. She consumed his thoughts that just a year before had been focused on freedom and a life without pointless rules.

_And now it's the rules and my duties keeping me from her,_ he thought bitterly as he found his bedroll. Shutting his eyes roughly, he tried to ignore the anger that was growing in him over how unfair life seemed to be sometimes. He couldn't understand why fate would lead him to someone that he was meant to be with but then make it impossible. It was like Ronin and Queen Tara, fated to love but doomed to never truly be together.

"This sucks," he muttered, repeating M.K.'s words as he prepared for another long, sleepless night.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! As Slightlysane443 pointed out the first few chapters were really angsty. Hopefully the next bit will make up for that. And many thanks to Shahrezad1and life is short so am I for their reviews as well! I really appreciate it.

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Sunrise came too soon, but Nod was determined to not let his mood affect his work. Over the past year he had come to appreciate Ronin's view that they were all part of the same tree. He had started to take pride in being a soldier and wanted to make the man who had tried to raise him proud.

_Hopefully it will be something exciting today,_ he thought as he me made his way into the throne room to await orders.

It was only a few minutes before the Queen appeared, her young face eager and excited to do her duty for the forest. Nod could remember a time when he had been like that with the Leafmen, wanting nothing more than to please his father. Yet after his death he had viewed being a soldier as little more than useless pomp that ended in pointless deaths. That is, until last summer.

"You look awful," Ronin's voice suddenly said, pulling him from his thoughts. "Didn't you sleep?"

"Some," he answered with a shrug. "What's the orders for today?"

"The Queen wants to see the meadow to make sure it's recovering well from Mandrake's attack. You and I will escort her there with a small team."

"Oh, that's it?"

"Why? Were you hoping for something more than that?"

Nod sighed and said no, although he knew it was a lie. He had been hoping for something fast paced that would take his mind away from the giant house outside of the forest. He needed to fly and feel the adrenaline that came with reaching top speeds.

"Don't look so glum," Ronin smiled. "You can scout ahead."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just be sure that you actually _are_ scouting and not just going for a joyride."

"Would I ever do that?" he asked with a grin. Ronin just gave him a knowing smile and waved him to go while he prepared the Queen and the other guards of her party.

Nod didn't wait to be told twice. Throwing on his helmet, he whistled for his bird and darted off. It was like a magic cure for all of the dark thoughts that had been plaguing him for weeks. The wind flying through his hair seemed to breath life back into him while the dives and spins got his heart racing. Soon, he was smiling as he zipped between branches and leaves, his chest light with freedom.

He did two turns around the meadow, his eyes watching for boggans or stompers, but seeing none he started to make his way back to the main group. That's when he felt it; a strange warmth began to fill his body, making his skin prickle with energy. He barely had time to process the sensation when a bright light suddenly blinded him while a huge gust of wind nearly threw him from his bird.

"What the –" he started as the warm sensation turned into a sharp stabbing pain in all of his limbs. His body felt like it was on fire, every joint aching and burning as the light grew brighter. Yet just as suddenly as it had started the light disappeared and the pain disappeared.

"What was that?" he asked his eyes looking around the prairie bewildered. He was on the ground, but something just didn't seem right. The trees in the distance looked different and the grass felt strange. His head was pounding as he stood, the dizziness almost making him miss the quick darting of _something_.

"What_ is_ that?" he said again, trying to follow the small dark blob that was moving so quick it was hard to focus on. Turning in a circle, he watched the mysterious creatures moves when suddenly it stopped, holding completely still.

A sickening feeling filled him as he recognized the green wings and tiny saddle on the back of what had been his bird. A bird that had been nearly half his height, but was now smaller than the palm of his hand. Looking around him again, he noticed how short the grass seemed compared to him and that he could see the _tops_ of the trees in the distance without having to strain his neck up. Spinning in a circle, nothing looked the same. Nothing was right.

"What happened?" he said in a panic, "What's going on?"

He searched for signs of the other Leafmen, of Ronin and the Queen, but there was nothing. At least he couldn't see them, just as he had barely been able to see the bird he had been riding only minutes before. Taking a step towards the forest, his body felt heavy and clumsy, the grass flattening beneath his feet.

He looked at the grass, amazed and frightened at the way he could bend it. "Oh god, what if I step on someone?"

Looking back towards the forest, he thought of all the people in Moonhaven and the surrounding area. He couldn't go back there, not like this at least. He also couldn't go looking for Ronin and the others for fear that he wouldn't see them before stepping down or grabbing something. No, he had to go someplace safe until he figured this out. Someplace that was big enough for him. _M.K.'s house._

Turning, he carefully began walking towards the edge of the meadow, each step sending waves of panic through him. He hoped that he was going the right way as he tried to spy the landmarks he often used in navigating the world. A world that suddenly seemed foreign and strange, leaving him unsure and truly frightened for the first time in his life. _Get to M.K.'s, _he told himself with each tentative step._ She'll know what to do._


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry for the abrupt end of this chapter. I wanted to get Nod's POV in but just wasn't going to happen today.

Thanks to all the reviewers! You guys are awesome, each and every one! I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know what you thought of the story. I really does mean a lot.

* * *

M.K. felt exhausted. She hadn't slept much the night before and even three cups of coffee didn't seem enough to take away the bite of her body's fatigue. Leaning back on her small bed, she let her eyes drift shut, the thought of a nap sounding like the perfect way to start her day when there was a loud frantic knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" she asked as Ozzie began to bark wildly. She knew it wasn't her dad since they never locked their doors and he would most likely be in the forest until dark. No one else really ever ventured out into their little piece of wilderness, leaving her at a loss.

The knocking grew more frantic as she slowly made her way to the door. "Coming," she shouted, shoving her excited dog out from under her feet. "I'm coming!"

Whoever it was, though, didn't seem to hear her as they continued to pound on the door. "Seriously," she started as she pulled open the handle, "I said I was – "

Her words died as she stared at the pale face of the one person she _never_ expected to be knocking on her door. For a moment all she could do is stare at the Leafmen, his green armor looking surreal on his broad shoulders and toned legs; legs that were no longer only an inch tall. She had to look up to see his brown eyes that were wide with shock.

"M.K?" he asked, his voice lacking the normal easy confidence that seemed inherent to him.

"What…I mean how…I mean –" she stuttered, unable to grasp the truth before her. Nod was _here._ He was tall and standing on her doorstep talking to her. He was truly _there_.

"I don't know what happened. I need your help. I need to figure out what's going on."

She barely heard him as she reached out and wrapped him in to a hug. "It's you," she said happily as his arms moved around her, clinging to her as if she were all that mattered in the worlds. "It's actually you!"

Pulling back, she looked at him again still unable to truly believe that he was there. He smiled at her weakly, his eyes darting around him as if he wasn't sure where exactly he was or what he was suppose to do. She was sure it was the look she had on her face when she was shrunk down to his size without any explanation of what was going on. Still, she would be lying if she didn't admit that she was happy to see him. More than happy, if she wanted to be _completely_ honest, even if he seemed overwhelmed by everything around him.

"Here," she started, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the door. "Come inside and we'll figure this out."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Wow! Thank you to all the wonderful reviews. I'm really glad you guys are liking this and I hope you enjoy this chapter. A special thanks to Shahrezad1, WritersWayOfLife, and life is short so am I for the multi-chapter reviews. You guys rock. And sorry in advance for any typos. I'm trying to post quickly so I might miss some.

* * *

Nod stared at the house, unsure what to make of most the things it contained. The last time he had been here he had been normal sized, making the odd contraptions the stompers used seem like nothing more than massive parts of the scenery. Now, though, he could pick things up, move them with his giant hands, or even knock them over by barely brushing into them. It was all so _strange_.

M.K, though, seemed at ease with the weird things she lived amongst. She didn't even act like it was odd that there wasn't anything green growing around them, or that there wasn't air freely able to blow from one end of the house to the other. It was all so different and overwhelming that he wasn't sure if he felt like laughing or crying.

"Ozzie, stay down!" M.K. shouted, pulling him from his thoughts just in time to see a little ball of fluff that at one time had been a _huge_ monster.

"Ah!" he shouted as the little dog jumped at him, his hand automatically going to the sword that he still wore on his back.

"Don't worry, he's not going to bite. He's just excited."

"Are – are you sure?"

"Do you really think my father could live with anything that was dangerous and last longer than two seconds? Ozzie's harmless."

"I guess so," he answered, relaxing only when M.K. finally put the dog in another room. Still, he couldn't shake the nervous tension that was creeping into his muscles as if something were about to attack. He didn't know what was dangerous and what wasn't in this world, leaving him completely vulnerable to everything around him. It was unsettling enough that he was a giant without being so utterly lost on what to expect or how to react.

"You okay?"

"No," he answered, moving towards a window and looking out to the forest. "I'm not okay. I don't know what happened to me, nothing is the size it should be, and I have no idea how to fix it!"

"So it wasn't the Queen that did this?"

"No," he answered roughly, before realizing that he had no idea if she had. _Could she have done this? _

Looking at M.K. he knew that new queen could, but _would_ she have done this to him? And if she did, why? Shaking his head, he looked at the one person who had any idea of what he was going through, her eyes concerned as she watched him.

"I don't know, M.K. I was alone when I turned into this," he said, waving at his body as if it were something grotesque and disgusting.

"Well, you don't _look_ any different from what you normally do, if that helps. You're just bigger."

"It's not right, though. None of this is right! Look at this stuff. It's _huge!_ I mean just last year I had to climb up this – this thing!" he answered, pointing at the metal thing M.K. had touched after her less than stellar attempt at jumping across the room. It had been one of his favorite memories of their time together, that and the deer ride during sunset. Yet now, at his height, even things that he had thought about fondly seemed alien to him.

"The stool?"

"Yeah, the stool! I had climb up that and now I could pick it up if I wanted to!"

"Hey," she started, closing the small distance between them and laying a comforting hand on his arm. "Calm down. I get it. Believe me, I do. But this world isn't as strange as you think. We'll figure this out. There has to be a reason you're here."

Nod looked at her, staring at her confident green eyes that were exactly as he remembered them from a year ago. If he could just block out the rest of the world he could almost imagine that they were back in the forest, normal sized and just meeting each other for the first time. He could picture the way the sunset had made her hair glow in reds and golds and how her smile had brightened her face. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed, his anxiety melting against a sudden warmth that was growing in his chest.

Breathing in deeply, he leaned forward and felt her breath against his skin. Closing his eyes, he let his lips brush her face, her soft skin sending an electric tingle through his body that demanded more. He put his arms around her, remembering how she felt in the moments before she was whisked out of Moonhaven.

He found her lips with his and pulled her into a desperate kiss. Her arms snaked around his back as he pulled her closer, the warmth rising to his cheeks as he shut out everything around them and pretended that M.K. hadn't let go, that she had stayed with him in the forest.

"Mary Katherine!" a voice suddenly called, followed by a loud banging sound. M.K. immediately pulled away, her cheeks flushed.

"In here, dad," she called back, smoothing out her hair and t-shirt just as her father appeared around the corner.

"Mary Katherine, you're never going to believe what I discovered tod –" he started, his words dying as he stared open mouth at the giant Leafman standing in his house.

"Dad," she started slowly, grabbing Nod's hand and pulling him forward, "This is Nod. You remember him, right?"

"Remember him? How could I forget! It's been so long since I've seen you and you're…well you're bigger!"

"Yeah, I know," Nod started, his hand going to his hair uncomfortably as he was pulled back into the reality of his predicament.

"How did that happen?"

"Dad," M.K. cut in, giving the Leafman an apologetic look. "Nod's kinda been through a rough day. Maybe save the questions for later?"

"It's alright," he answered, giving the enthusiastic stomper a weak smile. "I'm not sure what happened."

"This is incredible!" the eccentric professor said, barely taking in what he was being told. "Look at your armor! It's even more detailed than I imagined. And you're boots! Look at how high they go. You were right M.K."

"Dad, you haven't seen anything unusual out in the forest, have you?" M.K. cut in, asking the question that was starting to burn in Nod. What was going on out there? Was his current state due to something happening in his world that he didn't know about? Or was it something else?

"Oh! Everything is fine! In fact, there seems to be more wildflowers than ever this year. And I even saw some plants I don't recognize today. They might be invasive, but I think that they must be –"

"Dad, did you see any of the Leafmen?"

"What? Oh, no. I haven't honey. In fact, after you left for school I hadn't seen much of them until, well until now!"

The professor stared at Nod, his large smile making his disheveled hair seem even wackier than he remembered it. "We've been busy this last year," he said lamely, feeling uncomfortable under the man's wide-eyed look.

"Oh, I'm sure you have. Are you going to be going back to the forest soon? Will you be shrunk back down?"

"Dad!"

"What?"

Nod sighed, looking over to his friend who showed every sign of being embarrassed. "It's okay. I don't know, Professor Bomba. Right now I don't know what I'll be doing or where I'll be going. I have to find some way to get in touch with the others and figure out what's going on."

"Really? Well you can stay here if you like. You can even use my equipment to reach your friends!"

"Thanks, that would be great."

"Great! Then it's settled. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? What do Leafmen eat? Is there something special I should get for you?"

"Um, why don't you just make a salad or something," M.K. answered for him. "I'm going to show Nod the house and find him a place to sleep."

"Good idea," he smiled at his daughter, the pure joy on his face softening the sickening feeling that was growing in Nod's gut as he realized that he wouldn't be returning to the forest that night. He barely heard M.K's apologies for her father's excitement as she pulled him from the room, and began showing him room after room.

He felt practically alone in this strange new world, and for the first time in his life he truly hated it.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry for the hiatus. And oh my gosh the reviews! That's what made me come back to this. There were so many and I was so horrible I didn't respond to each of you personally. Still, if you left one, know that you're the reason this next chapter is here! I am lucky to have some amazing readers.

* * *

M.K. watched Nod as she moved from room to room, his expression changing from wide-eyed amazement to bewilderment and then back to anxious uncertainty. She could completely understand the feelings as they weren't so different than what she had felt a year earlier. Still, at least she had a war to distract her from the shock of being shrunk. Nod, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to dull the blow of no longer being in his own world.

"This is the living room," she said motioning to the comfy room that barely got used. "And if we go up here," she continued, moving up the stairs, "You have my room."

Nod looked around, his green armor and sword standing out against the light pink of a little girl's room. She would have laughed had he not looked so serious. "So you can either sleep on the couch downstairs or up here or something. We don't have a guest room here."

"That's where you sleep?" he asked, pointing to the small bed that was built for a five year old.

"Yeah."

"Do stompers sleep sitting up?"

"No, it's just a little short. My dad hasn't gotten around to buying me a new one."

Nod frowned. "What's that?"

"What? My turtle tank?"

"You keep animals in that?"

"Well I did when I had a pet turtle," she answered, glancing over at the empty glass tank that still was filled with a little pond and a few plants.

"That's just not right."

"What's not right?"

"That you would keep something locked up like that. Something that's alive shouldn't be in some weird cage. It should be free in the forest, not stuck in your stomper house!"

"Hey!" M.K. started, her cheeks growing red as he glared at her. "Calm down. My turtle was _never_ wild. We bought it in a pet store. It would die if we just let it wander around outside."

"It's still cruel!"

"Really, Nod? What's your problem?"

"My problem? I don't have a problem."

"Really? 'Cause it kinda seems like you do."

"I just don't like that you of all people would keep something from where it belongs."

"Nod," she said slowly, suddenly understanding the sudden burst of anger. It wasn't over a turtle or the idea of pets, it was over something being stuck somewhere it didn't belong; him being stuck in her world. "You're overreacting a little bit and you're being a jerk."

"No I'm not. I'm just telling you the truth," he answered, his eyes turning towards the window.

"No, you're insulting the way we do things. You have no idea what you're talking about and you fly off the handle at me over an old turtle that lived a long and happy life. You didn't hear me insulting your world when I was there, did you?"

"No, but –"

"There aren't any _buts_, Nod. You guys do some pretty weird things and I didn't say anything."

Nod looked towards his feet, his shoulders drooping forward as he sighed. M.K. watched him as he seemed to struggle through something, his eyes darting around the room nervously before returning to the floor. "I'm sorry. It's just everything is so…_different_. Even things that should be the same, like a bed, are completely weird looking. I just…"

"You just don't know what to do. I get it, believe me," she answered, moving towards him and lightly touching his arm. "But you can't go around judging things. You keep birds and ride them, I had a turtle and played with him. It's not that different."

He looked up at her, his brown eyes showing his skepticism. Shrugging, she decided to let it go. She could remember what it had been like being thrust into his world. Nothing made sense and it was frightening. Sure she could see similarities in what the Leafmen did and how their society worked, but in the end there was a distinct _otherness_ to the whole thing. She knew that there was little she could do for Nod besides trying to make him feel comfortable while they figured out what exactly had happened.

"Let me see if I can find you something else to wear."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"Besides the fact that the most dangerous thing at the dinner table is Ozzie licking your feet? I just don't think full armor and a sword is really in fashion these days," she said, giving him a lighthearted smile in hopes of cheering him. "Besides, it's a lot easier to function without all of that on."

"Okay," he started slowly, his hands drifting to his armor before stopping as if he was unsure he wanted to let go of the one thing from his world that he had with him. M.K. gave him an encouraging look and a little smile before stepping out of the room.

"He'll relax," she said to herself confidently as she quickly made her way to her father's closet. Nod was nowhere near as lanky as her dad was, but she knew that he had some old sweats that might fit the Leafman. It only took a minute to find some old college things that looked to be about the right size for her friend. "Here we go!"

Walking back to her room, clothes in hand, she pushed open the door only to stop in her tracks. Nod was standing with his back to her, his bare, muscular shoulders flexing as he carefully laid out his armor on her nearby desk.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, I should have knocked," she sputtered as he turned quickly, revealing a chiseled chest and a very toned stomach with muscular divots that continued well past his waistband. "Um, here. I think these might fit."

"Thanks," he answered, seemingly unembarrassed as she rushed from the room.

She wasn't sure why seeing him shirtless had shocked her so much, but for some reason it did. It wasn't like her first year of college hadn't brought on its fair share of various levels of nudity, and Nod was showing no more than what he would if he were in a swimsuit. Still, her heart thumped wildly and her face burned from the short encounter. "What's wrong with you?" she muttered to herself as she made her way back to the kitchen. "Stop acting stupid."

The little pep talk didn't do much to cool her red cheeks or calm the flurry of butterflies that filled her stomach, but she did her best to ignore it. She kept seeing his muscular arms and remembered how they felt around her earlier in the kitchen, making her want to feel them again. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, the contact still making them tingle. If she closed her eyes she could picture him pulling her towards him, pressing her against his chest while claiming her lips with the same intensity he had in Moonhaven.

_Let's not get ahead of ourselves,_ she thought as a shiver ran through her. _Just help your dad and let Nod get use to being big._

It was a good thought, but she knew that it would be easier said than done.


End file.
